gobluetwo

Unless you can burn upgrade certificates to get from Y to J and still pocket the $1000

rgustafs

We are supposed to be able to fly J with 13+ hours, but - as a cost cutting measure - that has been thrown out the window in the past few years.

Due to the nature of our work, we travel on full-fare fully refundable tickets. We are required to fly Y unless in the ultra rare circumstances where you can prove that there is no viable way to get there in the allotted time on a Y ticket. (We fly lots of trips for which we receive less than 24 hours notice.)

One can appeal and get approved for J, if that is all that is available and it is emergency travel. When we land, we are often driven directly to the office, no matter what time it is.

On the way home, we only fly Y. We can take a stopover, but mainly we're too dog tired to take them up on it. Like the time that I was heading home from CHC to IAD and some of us got turned around at LAX and asked to go to Japan...

We do get to keep the miles earned on the actual flight so that's nice. That said, I am coming to work at some of your offices ASAP.

rgustafs

mandolino

Wow. They can cost more than J.
Luckily we get offshore/marine fares, which are, effectively, fully flex refundable fares at non-refundable prices.

uszkanni

Both Tony Stark and Lex Luthor managed that w/o suckling on the public teat.

Besides, I thought you were a weather guy. Can't you leverage HAARP and barium laced chem trails as part of an overall plan for world domination? Show a little initiative dude!

Segments

Used to work for a company that allowed us to sub two coach tickets for business class. They encouraged the substitution by also paying additional hotel charge for second person in room

Typical trip was Texas to Zurich so many employees would opt to bring spouse and add vacation to the business trip. Execs would often opt multiple times bringing a different kid each trip. (and then upgrade)

Great work/ life balance initiative for road warriors

invisible

You'd be surprised....

Again, you'd be surprised how many people would prefer to take cash and run. Including the people in the category you've mentioned.

I am personally in that category and fly at least 8 >10h flights in a year due to the business travel. If at the if end someone tells me that I will fly whole year in UA's E+ and get 10K bonus or I will fly in C, I'd take $10K bonus at the spot without thinking and run. One of the reason is that I know how to deal with my money better (plus that amount is double of the my yearly vacation budget).

BTW, it is known fact in behavioral economics that people would willingly exchange cash in their pocket with the benefits they not quite understand, appreciate or simply do not have value for them. People particularly do not appreciate benefits coming for free, being it C class travel, free health insurance or so on. Plus, free benefits, which at the end are not free, create opportunities for moral hazard.

Another example of this situation would be option to convert vacation days into cash as it was at one of my previous company. Company eventually had to drop them plan because 90% of the people preferred to have cash instead of vacation. Granted it was Silicon Valley small company with majority of people younger than 30, but still is an example.

Are you in the same business Ryan Bingham was?

Are you implying that cyclogenesis is one lab accident away transforming into Jocker?

mandolino

That movie has skewed so many peoples' image of business travel.
Like some of the respondents here, they think it's a given that all business people travel in J or better.
I'd guess on any flight out of ABZ, at least half are on work/business at any time, but very few of them are transferring to a seat in the pointy end.

(I say transferring because most flights out of ABZ are one-class, but since we're at the end of the line, many are then transferring onto a longer haul flight when they reach LHR, CDG, AMS, FRA or CPH)

megalab

As more employers look for places to cut costs I hope they keep this concept in mind.

I'm also too frugal to spend that much for personal travel, but going into my 4th year of regular business travel I know I'd take a seat in J over $1,000 any day, because I want to be ready for work when I get there as much as my employer expects it.

It's not that I'm some workaholic or am sucking up to my boss, but because I know work travel is generally high enough profile that my performance will impact my career, and hence my material well-being, more than a even a few $k upfront.

On the flip side, my boss knows I respect the investment and, as mentioned up thread, I work hard to travel cost-effectively. Our corporate travel policy does allow documented savings (from alternative itineraries, not downgrading CoS) to be used for adding on personal travel. Thus I'll pad trips to fly on cheaper days and try to do a little sightseeing if it works out, or cushion the blow of IRROPS if it doesn't, as is happening to me right now.

I understand how cost pressures are making it hard to maintain such enlightened policies. I just hope employers remain professional enough to realize investing in the proper tools is more cost effective, and employees act professional enough to provide the expected ROI.

besst

I work for a Fortune 500 company based in the US.

My company has a simple travel policy: Travel within North America or within Europe is always on the cheapest coach fare, and intercontinental is business class. Travel has to be booked through the corporate travel desk.

There is a little bit of slack in these policies; if prefer Delta, for example, and it is $10-$20 more than the lowest fare, they are generally OK with it. Interestingly, they are always OK with Southwest -- it generally assumed that they are the cheapest, even though that is often not the case any more.

jnojr

My travel is billed back to the US Government, so it's always economy. They wouldn't even spring for Economy Plus. Fortunately I don't need to worry about going out of pocket for that now. I usually know my travel plans weeks in advance, but my most recent trip didn't get approved until a few days before, so the cheapest fare was a lot. I ponied up the extra for First :-D I haven't been OCONUS yet, so don't know what the policy would be for that. Maybe I'll find out.

pragakhan

Six hours and I think we get a $500 kicker if we stay in Y, although I wouldn't take it, nor 1k as mentioned in another post..

Elfstar

I'm only aware of two that have taken the bonus. Heavens, I'm only five foot tall, and I wouldn't fly coach for that long! I get antsy on a 90 minute flight if I can't stretch out my legs!

williemaykit

Fortune 500 IT company. Policy was for sectors > 8hrs is J but due to cost cutting is now Y for all irrespective of the length of travel or whether the customer is willing to pay for it. Travel must be booked at least 14 days in advance via corporate travel agent (using corporate credit card).

Cassie55

I work for an airline in corporate sales so negotiate corporate agreements.

I've noticed that although most of my banking clients still have a J policy for over 8 or 9 hours but several of my other clients have asked me to add premium Y into their deals.

Candid

Just starting to travel with this current job and the following apply here:
1. Best value should be sought, but it is recognized there is a balance between lowest possible cost, and travel time incurred.
2. Accept indirect flight when time permits (see #1)
3. Supporting documentation for flight choices should be available for review by your manager.
4. Flights will be considered in policy, if they are within a +/-2 hours window, same class and type of service, and no more than a 200 USD difference over the lowest cost similar fare.
Domestic flights should only be considered where they provide significant savings over the total journey time, or to avoid overnight accommodation.

Travel grades / classes
1. First class is not allowed under any circumstances.
2. Flight times less than 5 hours - standard travel only permitted.
3. Over 5 hours, an upgrade may be acceptable when:
a. an upgrade is available at a cost not substantially* in excess of standard travel fares.
b. where the business case supports an upgrade
c. where the upgrade has been previously approved by the CEO in writing.

*"substantially" allows management discretion to be applied.

Business case includes:
1. Time of arrival at destination
2. Relative timing of meetings following arrival
3. Whether the employee will/should be driving a vehicle on arrival
4. Any other relevant factors.

upgrades:
Made after original booking, only for exceptional circumstances. approval for paid flight upgrades is required from the CEO. An upgrade may be permitted if the employee is particularly large/tall or has personal needs which necessitate more leg room/a larger seat.

With the permitted exception of checked luggage costs where it is not possible for the employee to travel with hand luggage only, ancillary cost of air travel such as seat selection supplements and airport lounge usage will not be reimbursed.